William b



(No Model.)

W. B. MASON.

FLUID PRESSURE REGULATOR. I

NO. 367,536. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

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, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

XVILLIAM B. MASON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE MASON REGULATOR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

FLUID-PRESSURE REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,536, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed March 8, 1836. Serial No. 194,479. (No model.)

heretofore made, so far as I know, have had T all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, XVILLIAM B. MASON, of the same general arrangement, so far as the Boston, county of Suffolk,'State of Massachurelation of the secondary or controlling valve setts, have invented an Improvementin Fluidto the pressure-chamber is concerned. In the 5 Pressure Regulators, of which the following present invention the controlling-valve is description, in connection with the accompa shown as operated by a diaphragm, forming nying drawings, is a specification, like letters one side of the pressurechamber, and the on the drawings representing like parts. valve-stem is on the opposite side of the dia- My invention relates to a fluid-pressure phragm from the chamber, so that it is not 60 IO regulator of that class in which a main valve exposed to the fluid in the pressure-chamber,

p or equivalent device is operated by a piston, and can, consequently, never be affectcd by itself controlled by a secondary valve govthe said fluid or by sedimentary or gritty erned by changes in the pressure of the fluid, matter which may be contained in the said in accordance with which pressure the main fluid. The ports governed by the controlvalve or equivalent device is to be regulated. ling-valve, through which the actuating-fluid An example of the prcssm'e-regulator of this is admitted to or escapes from the cylinder in general class is shown. in Letters Patent No. which the main piston works, pass around the 284,086, granted to me January 12, 1886, to pressure-chamber, and the diaphragm is acted which reference may be had,- and I do not upon on the side opposite to that exposed. to 70 claim, broadly, a pressnre-regulating device the variable fluid-pressure, bya constant govcoinprising avalve or other device to be opererning force derived from a weight or spring ated in accordance with changes in the press which surmounts the chamber in which the are of a fluid having variable pressure, and secondary valve works, and is caused by suitan actuating-piston for the said device, and a abledevices to act on the diaphragm. 75

valve controlling the operation of the said pis- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a presston, and being itself controlled by the pressurea'egulator embodying this invention; Fig.

u re of the fluid in accordance with which the 2, a partial sectional detail on aplane at right apparatus is to operate. angles to that of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a trans The present invention consists, mainly, in a verse section on line :0 :0, Fig. 1. 80 o novel arrangement of the pressurechamber The invention is shown embodied in an ap and diaphragm or other device operated in acparatus intended to control a steam-pump or i cordance with changes in pressure of the fluid similar fluid-forcing apparatus in accordance in the said chamber with relation to the secwith the pressure of the fluid forced by it. ondary valve and its stem or actuating 1nechhen used for this purpose, the apparatus 85 5 anism, which is, in accordance with this invencomprises a valveshell, (I, having an inlettion, wholly outside of the pressure-chamopening, a, and outletopcning a", separated her, instead of, as heretofore, passing through by a partition, a containing an opening, a, the said pressurechamber and being exposed surrounded by a valveseat, controlled by the to the action of the fluid therein 5 and the main valve, shown as a differential piston, b, 0

40 invention further consists in a novel arrangehaving its portion of smaller areaworking in mentof parts andiu various details of construca cylindrical passage, a above the valve-seat tion, hereinafter specified, by which appara and its larger portion working in a cylinder. tus of this general class is made more cera, of larger diameter formedin the upper part tain in operation. As shown in the former of the shell a. The piston or valve 6 when 95 patent referred to, the cylinder or chamber in seated is exposed at its smaller end to the which the actuating-piston works was below pressure of the fluid entering the valve-shell the pressure-chamber containing the fluid unthrough the passage a, and when there is no der variable pressure, and the stem of the conopposed pressure acting on the larger area, it trolling-valve worked in a passage leading will be raised by the said fluid, thus forming Ioc from the pressure-chamber to the said cylinthe main valve, as shown in Fig. 1, and per der, and all other pressure-regulating devices mitting steam to pass therethrough to the engine or pump, which will thus be maintained in operation as long as there is no pressure on the larger area of the piston 11. The valveshell is surmounted by a plate or cap, 0, preferably recessed, as shown at c, and forming the lower part of the pressure-chamber, the said cap itself being surmounted by a flexible diaphragm, d, which may be of sheet metal, and which is confined at its edges between the cap 0 and a piece, 0, that is bolted to the shell a, thus fastening the cap a and diaphragm se' curely in place. The diaphragm (I thus forms a movable wall of the pressure-chamber, which is moved by changes in pressure of the fluid in the said chamber. The piece 6 contains a recess, 6, which forms a chamber for the controlling-valve f, and which is closed at itstop by a plug, (7, and also has secured to it the springchamber 71, containing the spring 17, that affords the constant governing force, which, in connection with the variable pressure of the fluid entering the in'essure-chamber c, governs the operation of the apparatus. The diaphragm (1 supports a rigid head, It, provided with a socket, which receives the stemf of the secondary valve, and which is also acted upon by rods m, passing with a loose fit through openings in the piece 0 and acted upon by a follower, m, which receives one end of the spring 1 The other end of the spring 11 bears upon another follower, n, controlled by an adjusting-screw, .n', by means of which the tension of the spring may be varied to adjust the constant-governing force of the apparatus.

The pressure-chamber is provided with an inlet-opening, 0", having a mouth, 0", (shown in Fig. 2,) to which a pipe may be attached, and through which the fluid having the variable pressure is admitted to the pressure-chamber, so as to act on the under surface of the diaphragm d, tending to move it and the head 7c upward against the pressure of the spring 1', transmitted through the rod in to the head it. The said pressurechamber has no outlet, and the fluid in it has no circulation, so that little, if any, of gritty or sedimentary material can get into the chamber, and if any does get in it will have no detrimental effect on the open ation of the apparatus.

If desired, the chamber may be filled with oil, glycerine, or other suitable fluid which will transmit the variable fluid-pressure to the diaphragm. I

The chamber 6' of the secondary valvef has an inletport,p, shown as communicating with the inlet portion of the valve-shell a, so that fluid is admitted to the said chamber 0 at the same pressure as that which acts on the smaller end of the piston b. The valve f controls the passage of fluid from the chamber 6 into the inlet-port 1) to the cylinder at", above the larger portion of the piston b, so that when the said valve is open, fluid is admitted from the inlet portion of the shell a through ports 1) p, to act on the upper larger area of the piston b in the opposite direction to that acting on the lower area thereof, and, being the same amount per unit of area, it causes the piston b to move downward until its lower end seats over the opening a, thus preventing further flow of fluid through the valve-shell a.

The stemf of the valve f is reduced in diameter, as shown atf", just below the valvef and opposite the mouth of the port 1), so that when the valve f is raised the fluid passes from the chamber 0 around the reduced portion f 2 of its stem into the port 1), and the said stem is also extended above the valve, forming a stop portion, f, that by its engagement with the plug 9 limits the upward movement of the valve and of the diaphragm d; and it will be seen that only an extremely small movement of the diaphragm is necessary to open the valve f and admit the fluid to act on the larger area of the piston 11, so that only an extremely small compression of the spring i is required, and consequently an extremely small increase of the pressure in the pressure-chamber above that which is sufficient to just balance the force of the spring ias set by its adjusting device an. The stemf has a loose fit in its passage in the piece 0, so that when seated the fluid can escape from the cylinder at above the piston, through the port 1), and down around the stemf into the space or eXhaust-chambere above the diaphragm d, from which chamber there is an exhaust port or outlet, it, having a threaded mouth, t, in the shellla, to which the pipe maybe attached for conveying the exhaustfluid to any desired point. The piston b is shown as made hollow for the purpose of light ening it, and its larger portion is provided with a packing-ring, Z), and also has an internal threaded recess, which maybe used to connect it with a chuck in the operation of turning it, and the cap-piece c has the outer part of the depression 0 externally threaded for the purpose of connecting it with the chuck in the operation ofmakiug the parts.

All the piping that is necessary for the operation of the apparatus is connected with the shell (I, and all the working parts are accessible by removing the piece 0 and cap 0, which can be done without disturbing any ofthe pipeconnections made with the shell a. The follower m has a long tubular neck to engage the interior of the spring 1', which thus serves to guide it, and the follower a is depressed or made cup-shaped, so that the adjusting-screw it, although varying the action on the upper end of the spring, extends a considerable distance into the spring, thus economizing space in the apparatus.

A pressure-regulator made. as described may be used for any purpose in which a device of any kind which may be actuated by a piston is to be moved or have its condition changed upon the rise and fall of the pressure of aiiuid having variable pressure above and below a given point, and the operation is as follows: \Vhen the pressure of the fluid in the pressurechamber rises to such a, point that in acting on the diaphragm it overcomes the force of the spring 6, it raises the diaphragm, opens the valvef, and admits fluid through the ports 1) p to act on the larger portion of the piston b,

' thus moving it in the direction from the larger to the smaller end, and when the pressure in the chamber falls below this point, the Spring 2' moves the diaphragm downward, permitting the valvef to close, so that fluid is no longer admitted to act on the larger area of the piston b, but is exhausted through the ports 1) and t, and the pressure, acting unbalanced on the smaller area of the piston Z1, moves it in the opposite direction to that last mentioned-- namely, from the smaller toward the larger port. This movement of the piston may be employed to control a valve or damper or any other device that is to depend for its operation upon the change of pressure of the fluid havin g variable pressure.

It is obvious that a pressure-regulator might be constructed, as herein shown, in which the piece is would constitute the movable wall of the pressure-chamber and work as a piston in a cylinder formed either in the piece 0 or 6, above the inlet 0 to the pressure-chamber, which would have the advantage that the valve stem f would not be exposed to the ac tion of the fluid in the pressurechamber; but it is preferable to employ a diaphragm, as shown, so that there will be no surfaces having a frictional movement with relation to one another exposed to the fluid in the pressurechamber.

I claim- 1. The combination of the cylinder and actuating-piston therein with a cap closing one end of the said cylinder and forming a portion of a pressure-chamber, a diaphragm controlled by the pressureof the fluid in the said pressure chamber, a controlling-valve actuated by said diaplnragm-and located on the opposite side thereof from the pressurechamber, and ports communicating with the cylinder of the actuating-piston controlled by the said valve, substantiallyas described.

2. A main valve comprising a valve shell, a movable valve controlling the flow of fluid therethrough, and a differential cylinder and piston therein having its smaller area exposed to the pressure of the fluid in the valve-shell, a cap closing the larger end of the differential cylinder and forming a portion of a pressure chamber, a movable device actuated by the fluid in said pressure'chamber, and a controlling-valve operated by said device and located on the opposite side thereof from the pressurechamber, and ports leading from the main valve-shell to the larger portion of the differential cylinder controlled by the said control ling-valve, substantially as described.

3. The main shell containing a differential cylinder and piston therein, combined with the cap closing the larger end of the said cylinder and forming one portion of the pressurechamber, a piece surmounting the said cap containing a valve-chamber provided with a valve-seat, a controlling-valve therein, and

ports communicating with the differential cylinder governed by said controlling valve, a spring or equivalent surmounting the said piece, and rods extending from said spring through said piece toward thepressurechamber, and a movable device in the pressure chamber actuating the controlling-valve and itself controlled by the opposed forces derived from the springf on one side and the pressure of the fluid in the pressure chamber on the other side, substantially as described.

41-. The combination of the main shell provided with a cylinder and piston therein with a cap, 0, forming one end of the said cylinder, the piece (2, surmounting the said capand provided with ports communicating with the said cylinder and with a valve'seat, the diaphragm secured at its edges between the parts 0 and e and provided with a rigid head, It, and the controlling-valve cooperating with the'valveseat in the piece e and having its stem fittedin a socket in the head 7;, substantially as de scribed.

5. The main shell provided with a cylinder and piston therein, combined with the cap 0, forming one end of the said cylinder, the piece 0, surmounting the said cap and provided with ports and a valve-chamber, the plug 9, closing the valve'chambcr, and the spring chamber and spring therein surmounting the piece a, a diaphragm secured at its edges between the parts 0 and e, rods extending from the spring-chamber to the diaphragm, and the controlling-valve in the piece 6, operated by the diaphragm, substantially as described. V

6. The combination of the main piston and cylinder with the pressure-chamber and mova' ble device controlled by the pressure of fluid therein, with the spring and follower at one end, from which its force is transmitted to the said movable device, and follower at the other end of the spring extending into the interior thereof, and adjusting-screw bearing on the said follower at apoint between theends of the spring, substantially as described.

7. The main shell provided with a cylinder and piston therein, combined with the piece 0, the diaphragm having a pressurechamber below and an exhaust-chamber above it and provided with a valve-seat and ports communicating with the said cylinder, and the valve eo-operating with the said seat and ports, and its stem having aloose fit in a passage in the piece 0, communicating with the exhaushchamber above the diaphragm, substantiall y as and for the purpose described.

8. The main shell provided wit-h a cylinder and piston therein, combined with a cap, (2, forming one end of the said cylinder, the piece 0, surmounting the said cap and provided with ports and a valve-seat, a diapl'lragm secured at its edges between the parts 0 and e, and the controlling-valve cooperating with the said ports and valveseat and actuated by the said diaphragm, and the projectionf, constituting a stop for the said valve, substantially as described.

with a diaphragm controlled by, the pressure of fluid in said chamber, and a controlling or secondary valve actuated by the said diaphragm and located on the opposite side thereof from the pressure-chalnber substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

\VM. B. M ASON.

Jitnesses:

J'os. 1. Livmmonn, JAS. J. MALoNnv. 

